SHOTGUNNED is a new play that was performed in Truro and Falmouth this past weekend, having received rave reviews when it was performed in front of an intimate audience at Falmouth University.

The Packet sent reporter Ryan Morwood to review the play when it was performed at The Poly in Falmouth on Saturday, April 29. 

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I didn't quite know what to expect when I sat down in my seat ahead of the performance. Having spoken to writer and director, Matt Anderson, earlier in the week, I knew roughly what the play was about and how it was performed, but not much else.

However, after the lights went down and the first scene began, I found myself instantly engaged. That's not to say 'Shotgunned' starts with the bang you might associate with a firearm, but more a feeling of familiarity.

The opening scene of 'Shotgunned' starts with Roz, one of only two characters we the audience see in the play, waiting for her now ex-boyfriend Dylan to arrive at the house they once shared and collect his belongings.

Even before Dylan arrives, anyone that has been in a similar situation might instantly relate to the feeling of not quite knowing whether you're ready to see that particular person again, or the effort it can take to remain civil through small talk once they arrive.

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What follows over the next hour or so is a collection of scenes, some lasting minutes, others lasting for only a few seconds, detailing the relationship between our two main characters. We see how they met, how they fight, and how they handle grief in tragic circumstances.

Despite focussing on a break-up, 'Shotgunned' is actually very funny throughout, with both Liv Bradley who plays Roz and Brad Follen as Dylan, demonstrating sharp comedic timing, with Bradley in-particular bringing an acerbic wit to her character that helps make the couple's relationship that much more believable. 

However, intertwined with the many laughs that 'Shotgunned' provides, there are more serious and somber moments when the characters are faced with the consequences of their own actions and their effect on the other.

One particularly somber scene involves social commentary regarding the reactionary-nature of our National Health Service and how people tend to have to suffer before they are deemed eligible for the support they need. 

Commenting on social issues can sometimes feel preachy or forced, but not here. In this context, that commentary manages to be both relevant and timely and adds to the development of the character. 

By the end of the performance, the audience was left with a bittersweet feeling as the events in the story seemed to come full circle, with the cast a crew receiving a standing ovation from the 50 or so people in attendance that evening.

'Shotgunned' was written and directed by Matt Anderson and stars Liv Bradley and Brad Follen.